the deal also did not tackle the impending debt ceiling, a debate that will likely consume congress in the months ahead. joining me from washington, david leonhardt, he is the washington bureau chief of the "new york times." from chicago, austan goolsbee, a professor at the university of chicago booth school of business and previously chairman of the president's council of economic advisors. i'm pleased to have both of them back on this program. david, let me begin with you and tell me exactly where you think we are having that january 1 up to the last minute deal. what is the order of business for the executive branch and the legislative branch to do something to develop some sense of predictability and certainty and a road map for the future. >> well, we just missed a pretty substantial opportunity thief happen because i think the bigger deals that were on the table that president obama and speaker boehner were talking about would have removed some of these up coming deadlines, like the debt ceiling. and they didn't get one of those bigger deals. instead they got something in which o